Create a Backyard Habitat

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Look for flowers and plants that provide shelter and food for wildlife while also creating a relaxing space to enjoy the outdoors behind a living privacy fence of shrubs or trees.
Set up a bird feeding station to attract colorful songbirds year-round. Order a bird guide to learn about your new neighbors!
Make your yard an oasis with shade in the summer by planting trees on the north and west sides of your house - with a side benefit of lowered heating and cooling bills.
Install rain barrels to catch rainwater for watering your new plants and trees, giving them naturally soft water, reducing runoff to storm sewers and saving on your water bills.

Try to purchase trees, shrubs, plants and flowers native to Iowa whenever possible.
Go window shopping for new trees and plants in community gardens and arboretums to better see what a new plant or tree would look like in your yard.
Look to local nurseries, Master Gardener clubs, and Extension offices for advice in choosing and caring for native plants.
Learn more about choosing the right tree for your yard and caring for it at iowadnr.gov/UrbanForestry Hire a professional - called an Arborist - for caring for larger trees: treesaregood.org/FindAnArborist.

Learn how to properly prune your trees as they grow older.
Plant with a purpose: to help pollinators, reduce your home energy use, beautify your yard, add new tree and plant species to the neighborhood, or provide a home for wildlife.
Step up your plantings and build a pollinator garden to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, a rain garden to help absorb and use rain before it runs off into storm sewers, or other native plantings that help improve your yard’s soil quality.
Build a project, like a Leopold bench or bluebird house, using urban lumber. Several sawmills specialize in urban wood and can even mill lumber from trees in your own yard!